


Zoey's Extraordinary Unmasking

by woolesbeano



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV)
Genre: Insecurities, Insecurity, Parent Tony Stark, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Zoey is trying her best here, Zoey is very bewildered, poor communication
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:06:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24073420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/woolesbeano/pseuds/woolesbeano
Summary: Zoey took the steps two at a time, sprinting up the stairs with the little energy she had left after everything that had happened. Her eyes were locked on Mo’s apartment, her only remaining haven of sanity and reason. The muffled sound of blaring music became louder as she grew closer, a sure sign that Mo was available. Skidding to a stop, Zoey banged against the door, frantic knocking just managing to overpower the sound of Mo’s music. The music clicked off, making the click of the door audible when Mo swung it open.Mo quirked his eyebrows in amusement when he saw her, taking a step back as Zoey rushed into the apartment. She grabbed the knob of the door, peering out into the hallway cautiously before slamming the door shut with a bang.“Another heart song, Zoey?” Mo asked, returning his seat at the kitchen table, mug of tea in hand. He took a casual sip.“Worse.” Zoey lurched towards the table, collapsing into a chair with her head in her hands. “Spider-Man just sang to me, took off his mask in the middle of the song, and is apparently having issues with Tony Stark.”
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Zoey Clarke & Max Richman, Zoey Clarke & Mo
Comments: 19
Kudos: 50





	1. Nothing is Ever Easy for Zoey

It really should have been a good day. 

Tony Stark being interested in the company was the biggest break they could’ve gotten. Both Leif and Tobin were rehearsing possible pitches they could throw at the tech mogul, with Tobin periodically halting their thought process by gushing loudly about Stark’s best qualities. Joan too was caught in the excitement, scrutinizing every inch of the office as they worked. On a few occasions Zoey would turn to look at something only to find Joan staring at her from the other end of the room. 

After the third time of nearly jumping out of her skin after being subjected to Joan’s all-seeing gaze and contracting a mild headache from listening to Leif and Tobin’s endless back and forth, Zoey stood up from her desk, stretched, and walked away to the cereal bar. Grabbing a bowl, she mindlessly filled it with whatever was in the first container she saw. 

“Exciting, huh?” Max appeared to her right, grabbing a bowl of his own. “Tony Stark, coming to SPRQ Point. I heard he’s bringing an intern or two along.” 

Zoey grabbed a milk jug, tipping it into her bowl without much care to the flavor, amount, or calories. 

“I guess I’m just concerned.” She dipped a spoon into the bowl. “Everyone’s getting so excited about this opportunity, but he hasn’t even decided anything definitively. For all we know, he’s just scoping out our tech and leaving.” 

“Zoey, you’re worrying too much.” He nudged her with his arm, giving her an easy smile. “It’s Tony Stark. Even him showing interest in the company will help us. You’ve gotta calm down.” 

She gave a small smile in return.

“You’re probably right.” In a single motion, she shoveled a bite of cereal into her mouth. “Ugh, why did I get Raisin Bran?” 

Feeling marginally more at ease, Zoey left Max at the cereal bar, returning to her desk with her bowl of mediocre cereal in hand. She shoved another spoonful into her mouth, eyeing over the code for the newest SPRQ Point project when a guitar rift echoed through the room. If she had to guess, she would say that the tech mogul had arrived. 

Without warning, her coworkers around her vaulted out of their desks, each moving sync in a lurching dance as they headed towards the stairs. Zoey trailed behind, catching sight of Tony Stark at the top of the stairs. The man stood confidently above the crowd, one hand in his suit pocket, the other outstretched as he belted out the chorus of AC/DC’s Back and Black. Never had she wished more that other people could see her powers. 

“Back in black, I hit the sack.” The genius sang, every step he takes down the staircase purposeful and determined. “I hit the sack. I've been too long. I'm glad to be back.” 

Her coworkers accompany the beats with sharp and fast movements. It’s a swirl of coordinated motion, but there’s one figure trailing behind Stark, not participating in the dance. His hands are shoved into jean pockets and his t-shirt looked incredibly informal compared to Stark’s pressed black suit. He slunk down the stairs behind the billionaire, and Zoey could only assume he was the intern that Max mentioned earlier.

“Yes, I'm let loose, from the noose that's kept me hanging about.” The kid followed behind as Stark strided down the stairs to the beat. “I've been looking at the sky ‘cause it's gettin' me high. Forget the hearse 'cause I never die. I got nine lives, cat’s eyes. Abusin' every one of them and running wild.” 

They reached the bottom of the stairs, Stark still in the middle of the number. The man swirled with his backup dancers as the intern watched and waited near the stairs. 

“'Cause I'm back! Yes, I'm back! Well, I'm back.”

He punched out his arms as he continued the song, the dancers echoing his movements. 

“ Yes, I'm back! Well, I'm back! Back! Well, I'm back in black.” 

Tobin grabbed Stark, hauling him into a lift. The man balanced in the air as he delivered the last line. 

“Yes, I'm back in black!” Stark shouted.

With incredible ease, Tobin set Stark back down near the foot of the stairs, and the music faded out. The crowd was still clustered around the man, now excitedly chittering. Stark indulged them for a few moments, even taking out a pen to scribble his autograph onto a few things. However, the second he cleared his throat the crowd immediately silenced. 

“Now, you may be wondering why I’ve blessed you with my presence today.” He placed his hand on his chest as he said this, emphasizing his own importance. “Well, I’ll tell you why. I see potential. Your SPRQ watch, despite its completely bug filled launch,” From the corner of her eye Zoey saw Tobin turn slightly pink at that. “did have some well-written and impressive looking code in it. So, I’ve decided that I’ll tour your facility, chat up some programmers, and  _ maybe _ ,” he put heavy emphasis on the maybe, smirking at the crowd as he did so, “I’ll be interested in having one of your teams partner with Stark Industries.”

Excited chattering immediately broke out between her coworkers. Tobin quietly confessed to Leif that he thought he might faint. Joan, somehow with her composure intact, gently took Stark by the arm, offering to guide him through the place. Behind them trailed the intern, silently taking his place as the business version of a third wheel. 

“You think Stark actually throws wild parties where every avenger, including old man Captain America, shows up, or is that just a rumor?” Max mused the question with a quirked grin next to her as the crowd slowly dispersed around them. 

Zoey swore she saw the intern choke back a laugh in the distance. 

“Why do you think Mr. Stark brought an intern?” She asked softly, somewhat wary of the kid hearing despite the fact that he was halfway across the room. 

“It’s good experience. I mean, what kid wouldn’t want to visit a tech company?” Max gestured widely to the space around them. 

“But if he worked at Stark Industries, don’t you think he’d already have seen the best of the best? What’d be the point of bringing him here specifically?” 

“Zoey!” Max clapped his hand over his mouth in mock offense. “Are you saying we aren’t as good as Stark Industries?” 

Laughing, she lightly shoved him. Still, her eye trailed the intern as he plodded on behind Stark and Joan. She was broken from her thoughts as Leif and Tobin returned to their desks, loudly exclaiming their joys of having met Tony Stark. Pulling out her desk chair, she sat back down, resigning herself to returning to work. Her eyes once again began scanning the code, but her mind was elsewhere. She lifted her spoon up, taking mindless bites of her bland cereal. 

**BOOOOM!!!**

The ground shook under her, jolting her cereal bowl off her desk and onto her lap. Pulling it off by the brim, she stood, looking out across the office. Any animated chatter had stopped. A few people were on their phones, trying to find news, other people had flocked to the windows, hoping to see for themselves what was happening. Max grabbed Zoey by her arm, looking completely panicked.

“Zoey, we’ve gotta go.” His voice was up an octave and he rambled out his words in quick succession. “Whatever that was, we’ve gotta go. Come on, we’ve gotta go!” 

He pulled at her arm, dragging her a few feet. Yet her eyes were across the room, on Stark and his intern. They were locked in a hushed debate, the kid looking furious. Stark must have won, as the intern stayed in place as Stark marched off, armor forming around him. 

“Zoey, come on, please!” Max was still tugging her away and she realized he’d managed to pull her to the foot of the stairs without her moving a muscle. 

The kid looked pensive, still, not paying attention to the chaos around him. He ran a hand through his hair, then began walking towards the stairs. A feeling thrummed throughout Zoey’s body, inexplicable but unmistakable. The universe was shoving her in that direction, urging her to follow the kid. 

“Max,” He at her, fingers curled in the fabric of her sweater. He stopped tugging for a moment. “I’m sorry.” She put her hand around his, pulling it off of her sleeve. “I’ll be fine, I promise. I just have to do something.”

She took off towards the elevator, hearing Max’s confused shouts over the now growing noise of the ruckus. People were close to panicking now, and she wove through them until she reached the stairs. Pushing the door open, she heard the opening notes of a song. 

At least he won’t be cognizant that she’s following her if he’s singing. She tilted her head up, seeing the intern slumped against the wall of the staircase. 

“Maybe I make things a mess.” He sang faintly, “Maybe you’re right to have doubts in me. Maybe, but nevertheless,” He pushed himself off the wall, voice growing louder. “If you for once could just trust me!” 

He began taking deliberate steps up the stairs, Zoey following behind. 

“Just this once, let me come through for you. The way that you want me to.” 

He paused his movement for a moment.

“Let me make you proud!” 

He took off running, winding up the stairs while belting. Zoey broke into a jog, barely managing to keep up with his pace. 

“Let me show you the best in me! Let me give you a reason to believe that I can stand tall! And when I return, and I’m more than you dreamt I’d be, maybe then you will realize that you never actually knew me at all!”

His face turned bitter and he slowed his pace to a walk. Zoey, exceedingly grateful, panted and huffed as they continued up the stairs. 

“Sure I’ve made lots of mistakes. I know that I’ve disappointed you. Still though, whatever it takes. I’m gonna fix it, just watch me!” 

He was running again, and in her agony Zoey wondered why they couldn’t have just taken the elevator. 

“Just you wait, I’ll make it up to you. If it’s the last thing I ever do!” 

They’re on the last floor now, the top of the building. The kid charged through the door leading to the roof and Zoey limped through behind him. 

“Let me make you proud! I will make you have faith in me!” 

He took off his backpack, unzipping a pocket and fishing through it. 

“I will prove the way I used to be is all in the past!” 

Red and blue fabric flowed out of the bag. 

“I will save the day!” 

He held it up in a decisive motion. It unfolded. 

It was the Spider-Man suit. 

“And come back here triumphantly!” 

Zoey couldn’t take her eyes off the black spider symbol displayed proudly on the chest. 

“Cause I long for that look of surprise when you see your son rising at last!” 

This kid was Spider-Man. He was Spider-Man. 

“The pride in your eyes when you see your son rising, at last!”

She realized the song was ending and threw herself backwards through the door, landing just as the last chord echoed through the air. Taking her hands off of the cool cement landing, she tangled her fingers into her hair. 

“What the f---!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accidentally wrote this instead of sleeping last night. Whoops. Hope someone enjoys this, as I've got about two more chapters planned out to finish this fic off.
> 
> Songs used:  
> -Back in Black by AC/DC  
> -Let Me Make You Proud from Tangled the Series


	2. Zoey Asks For Help

Zoey took the steps two at a time, sprinting up the stairs with the little energy she had left after everything that had happened. Her eyes were locked on Mo’s apartment, her only remaining haven of sanity and reason. The muffled sound of blaring music became louder as she grew closer, a sure sign that Mo was available. Skidding to a stop, Zoey banged against the door, frantic knocking just managing to overpower the sound of Mo’s music. The music clicked off, making the click of the door audible when Mo swung it open. 

Mo quirked his eyebrows in amusement when he saw her, taking a step back as Zoey rushed into the apartment. She grabbed the knob of the door, peering out into the hallway cautiously before slamming the door shut with a bang. 

“Another heart song, Zoey?” Mo asked, returning his seat at the kitchen table, mug of tea in hand. He took a casual sip. 

“Worse.” Zoey lurched towards the table, collapsing into a chair with her head in her hands. “Spider-Man just sang to me, took off his mask in the middle of the song, and is apparently having issues with Tony Stark.” 

She looked at Mo through the cracks in her hands, waiting for a reaction.

“I’ll put the kettle on for another pot of tea.” Mo stood from his chair, setting down his mug with a clink. “Did I ever tell you how glad I am to be your neighbor?” He aimed a wicked grin at her as he passed, clearly enjoying the situation far more than he had any right to. 

“Mo,” Zoey whimpered, “how are you so calm about this?” She gestured widely at Mo’s calm demeanour. 

“Zoey, you hear people perform full musical numbers every day.” There was a flickering sound as the stovetop was lit under Mo’s pink metal kettle. “This isn’t that much weirder.” 

“This is different Mo! It’s Spider-Man.” Zoey groaned, letting her arms sink down until her head was resting directly on the table. “I can’t help Spider-Man.” 

“You can and you have to, the universe has decreed it.” Mo told her, matter of factly. 

Zoey let out another long groan, pushing her head into the table. Her arms hung lifelessly over the edge, looking similarly disheartened. Mo patted her twice on the back, giving two gentle taps. 

“Now,” A striped rainbow mug clunked down onto the table in front of her. “Sit up, drink your tea, and tell me whatever wonderful story this is. I want all the details.”

Mo took his place across the table from Zoey, manicured nails wrapped around his own mug as he waited expectantly. Zoey pushed herself off the table, chair scraping loudly across the floor as she pushed it closer to the table. Grabbing the handle of her mug, she took a long sip before beginning the story. 

\--------------------

“So, Spider-Man’s some intern with Tony Stark daddy issues?” Mo concludes as Zoey finishes retelling her experience. “Ooh, do you think it’s a secret kid situation?” A grin stretches across his face as he considers the dramatic possibility. “Like he’s Stark’s biological son but they had to cover it up?”

“I don’t really know if that’s the case, Mo.” And if it was, that definitely wasn’t what the kid was upset about. Zoey pushes herself into the back of her chair, thinking back to the event. “His song was more about trying to live up to expectations, I think? A lot of it was about how Stark doesn’t think much of him but he thinks he can do more.” 

“You said he specifically used the word ‘son’ during his whole dramatic stairs dance.” Mo points his long nails at her in an accusing manner. “I don’t know, that sounds a lot like father-secret son issues to me.” 

“But songs aren’t always literal.” Zoey insisted. “It could just as easily be about him feeling _like_ Tony’s his father figure. And like I said, that didn’t seem to be what his song was about anyways.” 

“So, go ask him what it was about.” Mo directed easily, sinking back into his chair as though the matter was easily resolved. 

“How am I supposed to even talk to him? He followed Stark around the office the entirety of the tour.” She paused for a beat, rethinking her statement. “Well, at least for however long it was before the bad guys showed up.” 

“He’s gotta be bored Zoey,” Mo pointed out. “Just offer to show him some of the arcade machines and game stuff you guys have crammed into that building. You can get him away from Stark and interrogate him until you can figure out what’s going on.” 

It’s true Joan would want to talk business with Stark one-to-one. And it’s true that the kid had looked like he’d wanted to be anywhere else when he was trailing behind the two. 

“That might actually work.” Zoey slowly perked up, her lips quirking into a slight smile. “Mo, that might actually work!” 

“Why are you acting so surprised when I have good ideas? Drink your tea and calm down.” 

Zoey complied, taking a long sip from her now cold tea. However long it had sat out, it was still delicious; Mo knew tea. 

“And tell me if you find out if he’s Stark’s son.” 

\--------

Zoey stepped out of Mo’s apartment, now having the slight reassurance of a plan. The initial anxiety she had felt about helping two superheroes was still there, but had now faded to an ever present background worry. She glanced back at Mo’s apartment, almost considering going back in. It would be far preferable to lay on Mo’s couch with tea and biscuits than have to figure this out. 

She shook her head, casting away the idea. Mo had helped her for hours figuring out a somewhat viable plan for the next day, he didn’t need to spend anymore time with Zoey. Mind made up, she stuck her hand into her pocket, rifling around for her apartment key. Her fingers had just touched the familiar metal when her phone began vibrating. She paused, abandoning the key as she pulled the device out of her pocket. 

Max’s face flashed across the screen. After so much stress from the day, seeing the familiar face soothed her slightly. Tapping at the accept button, Zoey held the device to her ear. 

“Hey, Max what’s-”

“Zoey? Oh my god, you’re okay. You’re okay.” Max repeated the words twice over, the reasurrances seemingly directed to himself rather than to her.

“Why wouldn’t I be okay?” She gripped the phone tighter. 

“Why wouldn’t you be okay?” His voice became shrill as he parroted her question back. “Zoey, I’ve tried to call you four times already! You ran off in the middle of some villain plot that _Iron Man_ had to deal with! I was terrified that something happened to you!” 

“You called me four times?” She hadn’t felt her phone buzz in the chaos of everything happening. And at Mo’s she had been so worried about figuring this out that she hadn’t glanced at her phone once. “Max, I’m so sorry. I just- I had to do something and I wasn’t thinking.” 

“Zoey, I just wanted to make sure you were safe. Please.” There was a heavy emphasis on the word. “If something like that ever happens again, please come with me.”

It was her instinct to assure him with an immediate promise. Tell him that she’d be with him the second something like that ever happened again. The reassurance of a promise would calm her as much as him. But the universe was now asking her to deal with superhero problems. There was every possibility that something like that would happen again and she’d be pushed towards the danger. Chest tight, she couldn’t let herself tell him that she wouldn’t be there. Yet Max had never seemed this frantic before. She can’t tell him no either.

“I’ll try.” She eventually blurts. 

“Okay. Okay.” Max’s voice settled down, finally returning to its normal tone. “I’ll see you at the office tomorrow then, right?”

The statement was an attempt at normalcy after what had happened. Zoey accepted it immediately. 

“Of course.” She tells him. “Goodnight, Max.” 

“Night, Zoey.” 

The phone call ended with a click. 

The slight reassurance Zoey has felt after her talk with Mo had disappeared. Zoey’s fingers fished out her key and opened her apartment door, moving without her putting conscious effort into doing so. Her head was full, bouncing between thoughts of Max and the day ahead. Her body urged her to pace, to walk herself into the ground as she thought through her problems, but after her day she didn’t have the energy. She flopped lifelessly onto her bed, worries thrumming through her. 

Mo had seemed confident in her ability to fix whatever was happening. Logically, this was just like every other dispute she’d solved yet, just two people who were terrible with expressing their emotions. Not just two people, she reminded herself, superheroes. Actual superheroes. Zoey turned, flipping onto her other side. She tried to focus on something else, willing her anxiety away so she could fall asleep for a few hours. She gazed out the window into the city, lights in buildings standing out against the black of night. Shadows of people milled about the streets below. 

Somewhere in the city, she knew, were the intern and Tony Stark. Iron Man and Spider-Man. And she had to help them. 

\----------

Zoey never managed to fall asleep that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, the next update might take a bit because I’m moving during Coronavirus and also have 3 remaining AP Tests. So, I’m a bit busy, lol. Please don’t be upset if it takes me a chunk of time to update. 
> 
> Tumblr: https://woo-lesbeano.tumblr.com/


	3. Zoey Meets The Intern

Zoey blew out a nervous breath, steadying herself before she rapped her knuckle against the glass wall of Joan’s office. It produced a muted thunking that drew Joan’s attention from whatever she had been working on. Snapping her laptop shut, she eyed Zoey, gave a sigh, and finally motioned for her to come in. 

“I hope this is important Zoey.” Joan told her, pressing her fingers against her temple. “Stark is supposed to arrive in five minutes.”

“Hey, it’s Tony Stark,” Zoey quirked the side of her mouth, “We’ve probably got at least ten minutes.” 

Joan remained unamused, frowning at Zoey’s attempt at levity. 

“Oh, but I am here because of that!” Zoey quickly blurted, trying to appease the woman’s obvious annoyance.

That interested her. 

“Go on.” Joan instructed, rolling her chair closer. 

“Well, you know how he has that kid with him?” Joan nodded, pointed fingers pressed together as she listened. “I thought, you know, it would be easier for you to talk business with Stark if I showed him around the office. Business deals are easier without a third party involved, right?” 

There was no response, from her boss, who pursed her lips for a moment. Zoey shifted uneasily, waiting for a reply. Suddenly, Joan clapped her hands together. Zoey back at the noise. 

“Love it!” Joan shoved herself up from her desk, her chair rolling away until it bumped against the bookshelf. “Love it, Zoey. I knew you had the best ideas.” 

Stepping around the desk with her heels clacking loudly against the floor, her boss pressed her hand against the small of Zoey’s back. Zoey, somewhat startled, allowed herself to be guided her out of the office, stumbling over the step down onto the main floor. Joan, unperturbed, began droning a multitude of instructions at her. She detailed exactly how she expected Zoey to interact with the kid, everything from “don’t offend him, he’s Stark’s intern” to “don’t get weird with him, Zoey”. Zoey nodded along, creating a façade of interest while internally reeling by the abrupt acceptance of the idea. As she was pushed forward it slowly dawned upon her that she had only prepared herself to get to this point. She had no idea what she was going to do when she met the kid. 

It was with that mounting panic that she realized that the pair had already arrived and that her boss was steering her directly towards them. Out of some instinctive reflex, she dug her heels into the ground for a moment. Joan seemed oblivious to her reluctance, simply pushing harder onto her back as she found the distance shrinking between her and the inevitable meeting. 

As they grew ever closer to the impending disaster, she could see the two approaching. Stark was dressed in a pressed black suit, sheek black sunglasses propped on top of his styled hair. The intern was, unsurprisingly, by his side, hands shoved into his hoodie pockets. His hair was messily stuck in different directions and he rubbed at his tired eyes as he grew closer. 

“Stark!” Joan cooed pleasantly. “I’m glad you could make it back after what happened yesterday. We had plenty left to discuss.” 

Stark smirked at them, one hand placed casually in his suit pocket. The other clasped Joan’s in a firm handshake. 

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He replied, giving a pearly white smile “Who’s this?” He cocked his head as he looked over at Zoey. 

“This is Zoey.” Joan clapped her hand against her back, shoving her further towards the pair of superheroes. “She’s one the best programmers on my team and," Joan smiled widely as if she was about to present a revelation. "she offered to give your intern a tour.” 

Zoey would have been more gracious for the high praise if she hadn’t been panicking. As it was, she managed a forced smile and an awkward wave. 

“Ah, trying to enchant my intern into joining your team?” Stark chuckled amicably. “Good luck beating Stark Industries, but you can try.” 

He nudged the intern, who clearly resented the action, stumbling forward with a frown. Zoey could relate to the feeling. The kid gave a conciliatory wave despite his obvious discomfort with the situation. He shifted his weight between his legs, hand drumming against the leg of his jeans. 

“Alright, let’s get started then." Stark stepped to Joan's side. "Play nice you two.” 

They both turned away, and Zoey could already hear Joan trying to sweeten the deal for a possible partnership. The intern trailed behind the pair, obviously dismayed by his unforseen abandonment. 

“I-um,” The intern stuttered, eyes still on Stark as he disappeared down the stairs. “I’m Peter. Peter Parker.” He finally managed. 

“Zoey” She extended her hand in a friendly gesture, all the while trying to calm her nerves. This kid was Spider-Man. Actual Spider-Man. Dressed in a t-shirt with a math pun and hoodie, standing in front of her. “Oh, wait, Joan already mentioned that, didn’t she?” She coughed out a chuckle, trying to clear the tension in the air. 

Peter shook her hand and she discovered how sweaty her palms were when they touched. Thankfully the kid didn’t comment upon it, simply rubbing his hand against his pantleg. She brushed her hands on her hoodie, and glanced up to see him looking at her expectantly. 

“Oh, right!” She spun on her foot, turning towards the stairs. “The tour! Come on.” 

She took a few steps down the stairs, checking to make sure the kid was following her. Sure enough, he began plodding down behind her. A miniscule amount of tension eased from her shoulders. Getting alone with the kid was at least one successful step in her plan. All she had to do now was figure out how to get him to open up. 

“Yo, Zoey”, A shout drew her attention. Tobin was leaned against the banister at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at them with a sly grin. “How’d you get to Stark’s intern?” 

He bounded up the stairs, stopping just short of the kid, who took a small step back. Tobin raised his hand, giving the kid an anticipatory look. After a moment’s hesitation, Peter obliged, giving him a high five. 

“Tobin Batra.” Tobin slapped his chest twice for emphasis. “Best programmer at SPRQ Point. Tell your boss to keep me in mind if he needs an experienced hand.” 

The kid rubbed the side of his head, fingers mussing his already messy hair. 

“I-uh, I’ll see what I can do.” He promised halfheatheartedly. 

“That’s all I’m asking for.” Tobin looked between the two of them. “Zoey’s giving you a tour?” He doesn’t wait for a response, instead adding “I wouldn’t trust her to show you any of the cool stuff.” 

“Hey!” Zoey protested, arms crossing. 

“Sorry Zoey, gotta tell the truth!” He doesn’t indicate any ounce of his supposed remorse in his face. “Here, come on,” he grabbed Peter’s arm, dragging him down the stairs. 

The kid looked up at her helplessly, as he was pulled away. Zoey shrugged in response consigning herself to following them. They weaved between her coworkers, with only a few glancing up from their work as they passed by. Max caught her eye and mimed his bewilderment of the strange procession. Once again, she simply shrugged in answer, not having the time nor the patience to explain the situation. 

The kid’s attention was caught on the insolation chairs and the pool tables as they passed by. Those would have been the highlight of Zoey’s tour, but apparently Tobin didn’t find them important enough to even stop. 

“Here!” Tobin finally announced, as they stopped directly in front of the arcade games. 

The kid absolutely lit up, a wide smile painted across his face. 

“You’ve got Galaga.” He said in an awed whisper.

“Oh yeah.” Tobin replied, glancing back at Zoey with an I-told-you-so expression. 

She rolled her eyes in response as the pair immediately launched into a in-depth discussion about the various arcade games. Zoey, who had barely touched any of them in her time working there, was completely lost. Peter bounced between the cabinets, staring excitedly at each one. Upon stopping at one, he claimed that he could easily beat Tobin’s high score, and Tobin, hand placed proudly on his chest, decreed that it would be an impossible feat. The matter sparked a furious debate until Tobin eventually snagged a quarter from his wallet and popped it into the machine. 

Zoey watched their endless back and forth, with Tobin shouting loudly any time Peter so much as nudged the controller. With the pair occupied, she finally had a moment to figure out how to get the info out of the kid. She was grateful that the kid finally looked like he was actually enjoying himself. Leaning against a nearby arcade cabinet, she tapped her foot and began thinking. 

She obviously couldn’t bring up anything with Tobin present, so that ruled out her saying anything while he was there. However…. she checked her watch. 9:45. If she waited about an hour she could offer to bring Peter to get lunch nearby. It’s the norm to ask personal questions during a lunch break and she could manage it with no one else there. It seemed like the best opportunity she would get. 

“Hey.”

She jumped, spinning herself around. Max was standing a few feet away, eyeing the ongoing spectacle of Peter and Tobin playing videogames with mild interest. He gave a quick grin. 

“Seems like they’re getting along.” He commented. 

“Yeah,” Zoey chuckled lightly. “he’s surprisingly good with kids.”

Tobin wooted loudly as the cabinet made an explosive noise. Peter leaned over it with investment, loudly slapping down the colored buttons. 

“So, I was wondering,” Max nudged her arm, regaining her attention. “do you wanna grab lunch with me? I’ve heard they’ve got a new dish over at Green Egg Cafe, it’s just potatoes drenched with cheese. I know you like carbs.” He teased before his face momentarily sobered. “And I’d really like to catch up. Everything’s been so crazy around here.”

“Max, I’m sorry, but I really can’t.” He frowned slightly, and she gestured at Peter. “Joan says I’ve gotta watch Stark’s intern.” It’s almost the truth. Not quite, but almost. 

“Right. Gotcha.” Max placed a hand on his hip. “Your loss on those cheesy potatoes though.” He turned, but looked over his shoulder as he called out. “Next time, though!” 

“Right!” She shouted back as he returned to his desk. “Next time!” 

Next time. 

There was a cry of despair and Peter slapped his hand down onto the console, eyes gleaming. The screen displayed a new three letter highscore - “PTR”, directly above “TBN”. Tobin hit the side of the cabinet, crying out in agony over his loss. 

Next time when she wasn’t trying to juggle superhero problems. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for how long it took for this chapter to come out. Between finishing up my AP exams and unpacking from moving I’ve been very busy. So, here’s a shorter chapter to tide you all over. We’re going to be getting into Zoey and Peter really interacting next time!
> 
> Also, I’m sure it isn’t entirely obvious with my portrayal of her, but my little lesbian ass has a crush and a half on Joan. I honestly adore her.


End file.
